Soap slicing machine



Aug. 8, 1933. H. MASKERY 1,921,199

SOAP SLICING MACHINE Filed Feb. 5, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet l 3, 1933- H. MASKERY 1,921,199

SOAP SLICING MACHINE Filed Feb. 5, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug. 8, 1933. H. MASKERY 1,921,199

SOAP SLICING MACHINE Filed Feb. 5, 1951 s Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Aug. 8, 1933 SOAP SLICI Harry l /laskery,

Application February 5,

2 Claims.

This invention relates to soap slicing machines, and more particularly to apparatus for reducing barrel soap to shavings of a size suitable for use in dyeing vats and the like.

In certain industries, notably in the textile industries, large quantities of soap must be employed in the treatment of fabrics. It is obviously impractical for textile manufacturers to purchase soap reduced to shavings of a size such that they will be readily dissolved in the treating solution, for the bulk of any considerable quantity of soap would be such that an exorbitant rate must be paid for transportation. It has, therefore, been the practice to employ barrel soap; that is to say, soap which at the factory is poured into a barrel and solidifies in this form. At the textile manufacturers, the barrel is broken from around the cake and the cake reduced to shavings. In the absence of any convenient apparatus, it has been the practice to employ either a sharp edged spade or a draw knife in this operation. Obviously, the reduction of a barrel of soap which weighs hundreds of pounds is a long and tedious job, and it is practically impossible for any workman to reduce the soap to shavings of anywhere uniform size. Thus, the handling of the soap becomes very expensive and it is, furthermore, necessary to employ a greater time in the formation of the treating solution than would be necessary were these shavings all of a uniform size as regards thickness. An important object of the present invention is the provision of an apparatus for reducing soap to shavings of a uniform size.

As hereinbefore noted, a barrel of soap is of considerable weight, and to impose the weight of this barrel upon a cutting knife of any character, would result in the necessity for a driving motor of such size that the apparatus would be impractical. Accordingly, a further and important object of the present invention is the provision of an arrangement such that the weight of the soap is conveniently withheld from the cutting knife while at the same time being fed thereto at a desired rate.

A further object of the invention is to provide in apparatus of this character means for supporting the weight of the soap of such character that it forms an auxiliary dividing means assisting in reducing the size of the flakes as formed by the knives.

These and other objects I attain by the construction shown in the accompanying drawings wherein, for the purpose of illustration, I have NG MACHINE Philadelphia, Pa.

1931. Serial No. 513,674

shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a soap slicing machine constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is a section on line 33 of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the knife; I

Fig. 5 is a section on line 55 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the follower bar employed for feeding the soap cakes to the knives; and

Fig. 7 is a section on the line 77 of Fig. 3.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 10 generally designates a base structure preferably open at its opposite ends and having a hollow interior within which ap proximately midway between the ends is supported a gearing housing 11 having a vertically disposed output shaft 12 and a horizontally disposed input shaft 13, the latter being preferably driven by a motor 14 mounted on a bracket 15 secured to one of the sides of the base structure. Adjacent the sides of the base structure are disposed bearings 16 for the lower ends of a pair of vertically disposed shafts 17, these shafts being connected with the lower end of the output shaft 12 which extends through the lower end of housing 11 by chain and sprocket gearing generally designated at 18.v The relative speeds of the shaft 12 and of the shafts 17 may be governed by varying the proportions of the sprockets of the chain and sprocket gearing, the sprockets of the shaft 12 being accessible through an opening 19 formed in the bottom wall 20 of the base structure.

The upper wall of the base structure has an opening 21 formed therein and in which is disposed a knife carrier 22 in the form of a circular disc secured to the upper end of shaft 12.

This disc has formed therein a series of substantially radially-extending slots 23 through each of which projects an inclined knife blade 24, the lower end of which is secured to the under surface of the plate. The innermostv ends of the innermost blades are spaced from the center of the disc, and the disc at its center has a conical projection 25, the purpose of which will hereinafter appear. Blades 23 are preferably so arranged that the chips formed thereby will be as nearly as possible uniform in length. The opening 21 is defined by an 'upstanding flange 26, the upper edge of which extends well above the upper surface of the-knife carrier and the edges of the blades projecting therethrough. This flange forms a support for a series of parallel wires 2'7, which wires have at their ends mounting devices 28 arrange in slots 29 formed in angle plates 30, one set of the mounting devices incorporating an adjusting member, such as a thumb nut 31, by means of which the wires may be tensioned.

Shafts 1'7, hereinbefore mentioned, extend vertically at dinnetricallywpposed points with respect to disc 22 and have their upper ends mounted in bearings 32 carried vertical standards 33 arising from the upper wall of the structure. These standards are prcierabiy connected at their upper ends, as indicated, formutual reinforcement. Shafts '1? rom a point slightly above the upper wall the base structure to the bearings 32 are .tl readed, as indicated at 34, for co-action with opposite ends of a follower bar 35. The follower bar 35 has at each end thereof a notch 36 threaded for en gagement with the threads 34 of the sl its 17 and the standards 33 are preferably graduated as at 37' so that in engaging the ends of the bar therewith these ends may be disposed evenly against the shaft. 7

The bar 35 is in the form of two sections pivotally connected as at 38 and including extensions interdigitating when the bar sections are in alignment and provided with aligned openings for the passage of a retaining or locking pin 39. Beneath this bar, it so desired, may be arranged, a pressure plate i0 in the form of a disc adapted to seat upon the upper end of a cake of soap which is to be sli ed.

In use of the apparatus just described, the soap cake, removed from its package, is se .ted upon the wires 27 which are sufficient in number to support the cake and prevent its downward movement under the influence of gravity alone. The bar 35 is then placed against the upper end of the soap cake, with or without the use of the plate 40, and motor 14 started. The motor acting simultaneously to rotate shafts l? and shaft 12 sets the knife in motion and at the same time causes the follower bar to move downwardly forcing the soap cake C before it. As it is; forced downwardly, the wires 27 divide the cake into a plurality of parallel slabs which, with continued movement, come into the sphere of action of knives 23 and are shaved to produce slices of the desired thickness. Since it is, obviously, impractical, as hereinbefore pointed out, to place the knives: with their ends at the exact center of the disc, a core wili remain after action of the knives thereon. This core is divided by the conical projection 25 and spread outwardly to be acted on by the adjacent knives so that the slicing of the entire cake is insured.

The number of slabs produced and consequently the number of chips resulting may be regulated by varying the number of wires 2'7 and their spacing, while the thickness of the slices may be regulated by varying the relative speeds of shafts 12and 17.

Inorder that any tendency of the soap cake to rotate may be avoided, I preferably provide a semi-circular shield 41 which may be conveniently secured to the standards 33 and which has at its inner face vertically-extending ribs 42 which will engage in the soap cake. and resist any tendency to rotation. The base may be provided with chutes 43 guiding the soap shavings or slices through the open ends of the base structure l0 and preventing contact of such soap slices with the mechanism arranged within this I base structure.

While 1- have above referred to the use of the apparatus only in connection with the slicing of soap, it will, of course, be understood that this apparatus could be conveniently employed in slicing any substances having similar characteristics to soap. It will, therefore, be understood that in the use of the word saponaceous in appended claims, this term is intended to cover such substances.

Since the construction hereinbefore set forth is, obviously, capable of a certain range of change and modification without departing from the spirit of my invention, I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself thereto except as hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

1. In a slicing machine or" the'character described, a rotary slicing means, a pair of threaded shafts extending upwardly at opposite sides of the rotary slicing means, a series of stationary cutting means comprising a support for material to be sliced and arranged above the rotary slicing means, a'follower engaging the threaded shafts and adapted to engage materialsupported from said stationary cutting means and, urge it through the stationary cutting means into engagement with the rotary cutting means, means for rotating the rotary cutting means and said shafts, said follower comprising a bar having notches in. its ends to receive said shafts, said notches being threaded for co-action with the shafts.

2. In a, slicing machine of the character described,'a rotary slicing means, a pair of. threaded shafts extendingupwardly at opposite sides of the rotary slicing means, a series of'stationary cutting means comprising av supportfor material to be sliced and arranged above therotary slicing means, a follower engaging the threaded shaits and adapted to engage ,material su'pe ported from said stationary cutting means and urge it through the stationary cutting means into engagement with the rotary cutting means, means for rotating the rotary cutting. means and said shafts, said follower comprising a bar having notches in its ends to r,eceive Said shafts, said notches being threaded 'for 'co-action, with the shafts, the, bar being formed in. two hingedly connected sections movable, about the hinge thereof to engage or disengage the notched ends from the bar, and means for maintainingv the movable bar sections in their position, wherein the notched ends, are in engagement, with the bar.

HARRY MASKERY. 

